Isometric Exercises for Increasing Muscle Strength

Isometric exercise is strength training, in which muscle tension is achieved without moving parts involved in the exercise of the body. But this is not just a muscle strain, such as the biceps in the demonstration.

In isometric exercises, we aim to do this or another movement, which certainly exceeds the performance of our ability. For example, to lift a bigger weight. Is like we try to move one an object which weight is much higher than we can afford.

This is the main principle of execution of isometric exercises. We strive to perform the movement, but we can not, and exercise changes from dynamic to static. For this purpose are used shells that you can not handle. These objects are around us in everyday life. This means that inventory for an isometric exercise can be found everywhere. Wall, floor, door, window sill, wood all of these can be easily used.

The essence of isometric exercise is to make the maximum effort. For example, trying to move the wall. Pushing, for example, a case, you probably will move it, and thus fail to develop the ultimate effort. The work also with weights, with which you can not cope, in principle, would require such an effort.

Isometric, like any others exercises, do not need to be taken from daily life mandatory. They can mimic some action or those that can, in principle, be useful in life. Often, performed sports movements have no analogies in everyday activities and it is not directly integrated.

Regarding isometric view, it not only serves the development of force (in this isometric exercise has no equal) but also can be used to train movements, which can find practical application. Isometric exercises are not focused on one isolated muscle group since the effort should cover the entire body. We learn to powerfully push, pull, bend, break, shrink, rotate. That is, to put in force certain actions, leveraging large muscle groups.

Isometric exercise provides a striking increase in power rates. The main particularity is that this maximum force we can develop toward that position in which it is trained. The conclusion is clear: to train various stages of the movement, the extreme (beginning and ending) and a number of intermediates.

Let’s see some specific exercises for isometric technique.

As we mentioned above about pushing wall, let’s have the first talk about it. The technique of execution is quite simple: just come up against the wall and try to move it. Do it the most you can, as force, work of muscles have to be real. You can push the wall in different ways: two hands, one (the hand can be slightly bent or almost straight), shoulder, forearm, leg forward (as if set down the door) foot side or back, heel, toe or edge of the foot ... And do not try to lift the leg higher.

The higher is the leg, the less convenient is the position, thus less effort you can develop. But the challenge is to work with a force of 70-90% of maximum. Another great exercise is to break the sill, of course, if it is well fixed. For this put a hand up, second down. Try to remove it (2 options: up and over). Press the top of a palm, edge of the fist, one and two hands.

Also in the house are doorways. Try to push the opening on the side or top side. Try to tear off a joint, using the power of the whole body, especially legs and back. If you tried all these, go further to this exercise. Take any stick (at least the handle of a mop) and try to twist it, as you drain underwear.

Try to stretch, break the stick. Can be done-breaking move, just select a stick, which certainly does not break anything. For example, a metal pipe. You can take a stick like a spear and be resting against the wall, perform a piercing movement. It is true that this is done based on legs and pelvis, while arms act as an of efforts.

A classic shell for isometric exercises can be called a chain, which was attached to the ends belt loops (attaching to the carbines handles allows you to adjust the length of the chain). According to this technique, the chain is stretched in different positions: front, through the knee, behind, etc. We can use a belt or rope, as long as their tensile strength exceeds our capacity.

There are no limitations when it comes to isometric exercises. You can build that efforts that you personally need. The main thing here is not the specific exercises but techniques of its implementation. When you exercise there is a wave of force that covers the entire body. This is important! The muscles are involved in the work smoothly, the tension rises till the peak moment, and after a pause, slowly decreasing.

There are dozens of exercises you can do in everyday life while sitting on a boring meeting or standing at the bus stop. Exert a force which will do an exercise imperceptibly. If it happens in training, following the correct procedure to add efficiency.

Perform each exercise 3-5 approaches, with pauses of 30-90 seconds. Rest depends on the effort and the duration of stress, and most importantly on the well-being. Duration of efforts during training has to be increased from 3 to 30 seconds, the maximum force developed in the medium approaches.

For example, you can perform 3 sets of each exercise with a force of 60-90-75% of the maximum. In the future, follow 5 approaches with a force of 75-90-95-90-75% of the maximum. Full training is recommended twice a week for an hour, other days should do the exercises with less effort and fewer approaches.

In general, guided by feel. Someone may hold for 3-4 workouts per week with full kit, and someone is enough to make each exercise in the three approaches for 70% of the maximum daily at a charge. It is important that isometric exercise affect not muscles, but tendons. If done correctly, this gives a significant increase in strength without increasing muscle mass. And it may be important, for example, for women.

But isometric exercises require a conscious attitude and internal controls. After all, unlike the exercises with a weight, there is no objective, external indicators included your efforts. Only you control what you are doing. On the other hand, the cheapness of inventory and the ability to do the exercises anywhere, and high efficiency make an excellent method of isometric exercises strength training.